Resume: An Introduction
The Introduction Section of the R茅sum茅
The Introduction section of your r茅sum茅 includes the heading, the executive summary and highlights of skills and experience you don鈥檛 want the reader to miss.
Heading
Here鈥檚 an obvious question: How easily can an employer reach you? Don鈥檛 send employers on a scavenger hunt for your contact information or worse, include so much contact information that they don鈥檛 know which method to use first.
The heading of your r茅sum茅 should include:
- Your name
- Address
- E-mail address
- Phone number
Put your name, home address, phone number(s), and personal e-mail address at the top of the page. (Remember that a company e-mail account is not private.) Make sure your e-mail address sounds professional, such as john.williams@gmail.com. If you must hang on to 鈥渟kydivingrox@hotmail.com鈥� then set up a separate e-mail address solely for your job search.
Provide daytime phone numbers if possible, unless you鈥檙e permanently employed and can鈥檛 receive personal calls discreetly at work. In that case, use your home phone number. You may also include a cell phone number. Make sure that any phone numbers or e-mails are answered professionally and checked regularly.
If you were born or have education outside the U.S. but are now a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident, include your status on the r茅sum茅, in the heading section. If you have a temporary visa, however, do not state this information. If there are no suitable American candidates for the position, the employer may be willing to sponsor a candidate for permanent resident status.
You may also want to include the URL of your LinkedIn profile, or the address of a professional web page that describes your work.听 You can also use the 鈥淓dit Profile鈥� feature on LinkedIn to change your web page鈥檚 URL to something more memorable.听 听
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Executive Summary
Instead of an objective, you could write an executive summary that emphasizes your professional expertise and provides a strong introduction to your r茅sum茅. A summary establishes the benefits you bring to a company and shows why you are the best candidate for the job.
The summary is typically a short paragraph of your professional qualifications. You don鈥檛 have to call it a summary; and could be called a Profile, an Introduction, or an Overview. You can even use a headline that brands who you are. A summary can include all or some of the following elements:
- A headline that establishes who you are and your expertise: 鈥淩&D Project Manager鈥�
- A statement that 鈥渂rands鈥� you: 鈥淓xperienced technology leader and manager of processes that achieve increased business value.鈥�
- A brief sentance or two that summarizes your professional qualifications: 鈥淐reative thinker and intelligent problem-solver, eager to tackle new challenges.听 Expert analytical chemist, with demonstrated ability to develop new SOPs as well as troubleshoot and maintain HPLC, GC and MS. Skilled interpreter of customer needs resulting in enhanced customer service.鈥�
- A list of your core skills: 鈥淪trategic planning. Project Management. Customer Satisfaction. Team Leadership & Management.鈥�
- A list of two or three career achievements: 鈥淲ythe Polymers, Inc.: Managed a portfolio of R&D projects that focused on the commercialization of new resin products for the global composites industry.鈥�
Whatever information you put in the summary, make sure there is supporting information later in the r茅sum茅.听 For example, if your summary says you have excellent communication skills, the resume should include accomplishments such as publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals and giving invited or keynote presentations.听
Highlights
If you elect not to use an objective or a summary, you might use a highlights section instead. Sometimes this section is referred to as accomplishments or key qualifications. This section of the r茅sum茅 guides the reader鈥檚 attention, bringing your most relevant skills and experiences to the forefront, and offers you the chance to present the 鈥渆ntire package.鈥�
Here are some well-written examples of a highlights section:
- 鈥淓xperienced in the synthesis, purification and characterization of organic compounds鈥�
- 鈥淪killed in identifying and preparing novel materials for use in fuel cells鈥�
- 鈥淎dept at preparing fuel cells having high efficiency and extended shelf-life鈥�
- 鈥淥riginated techniques for detecting energy loss sites in photo-electric membranes鈥�
- 鈥淧roven team leader with excellent interpersonal and communication skills鈥�
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